I see you.

Are you scared, anxious, unsettled or nervous? ... I see you.

Have you cried a bit more than you normally do? Or maybe not enough? ... I see you.

Are you having a hard time finding a balance between everything that is pulling your focus and attention right now? ... I see you.

Do you feel a little bit like everyone is doing it better than you, or has it worse than you, or maybe even better than you? ... I see you.

Are you an introvert who is having a hard time striking a balance between the constant companionship of your loved ones while still protecting your boundaries and your peace? ... I see you.

Are you lonely, whether it's because you live alone and are isolated or because you're an extrovert who is used to much more activity and interaction? ... I see you.

Are you a little bit bitter and sad over this abrupt change in our normal lifestyles, but do you feel guilty for feeling that way when we are supposed to be grateful that we're safe and healthy? ... I see you.

Do you struggle to wrap your mind around the thought of doing this for one more day, let alone for two more months? ... I see you.

Point is, we're all in an unprecedented situation right now. None of us knows the 'right' way to do it and beating ourselves up for feeling any particular way will steal whatever joy we have going on right now. So I want to validate some of the less-talked-about aspects of what we're all feeling right now. When we strip away the mantras of 'Stay home' and the new-wave catch phrases like 'social distancing', we're all still the same old people that we were at this time last month when this whole ordeal began. We are all experiencing fear and frustration and disappointment in brand-new ways and in my own experience, it helps to identify it and speak it out loud.

So I encourage you to drop your feelings in the comments, or in my private message inbox, or in a phone call to someone you trust, or into a pillow, or out into the night sky. Let them land in a safe place and then let the wind carry them away, if even just for a moment. Because the weight of these very real feelings can be so, so heavy. We're all in this together, and I will always speak up for preserving mental health alongside physical health. There is little point in coming through this mess if we won't be happy and sane at the end of it, is there? Let's protect each other spiritually as well as we are physically. And I am 100% your ally in this.

I. SEE. YOU. ❤️